Newsletter: Demining defunded | AAC panels | NGO internet use | PNG LNG | ODE evaluations

Australia has defunded demining

Bob McMullan and Robin Davies estimate that Australian funding for demining has fallen from around A$45 million in 2011 to probably well under A$10 million this year. Demining has traditionally been a strength of the aid program, and strongly supported on both sides of politics. As the authors say:

“Whatever views one holds about the priority which should be given to aid, it is hard to imagine anyone seriously arguing against money being spent to remove landmines and other explosive remnants of war or to assist the victims of these dreadful legacies of wars.”

As recently as late last year, Australia’s own official statement to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention claimed that Australia’s funding had “been effective in improving the quality of life for victims and reducing the number of deaths and injuries from landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war.” The same statement went on to urge other countries “to dedicate themselves to finish what we have begun”. Will Australia practice what it preaches and restore funding to demining?

Australasian Aid Conference: call for panels

The 2017 Australasian Aid Conference (February 15 and 16) is starting to shape up. As well as our keynote speaker (Michael Woolcock) on rethinking governance, we will also be presenting plenary sessions on the crisis in humanitarian aid, and on Asian approaches to engaging the private sector in development. We encourage you to submit papers but also to think about submitting an idea for a panel. A panel can be a collection of papers, but can also be a brainstorming session involving interesting people on an important topic. This is Australia’s leading aid and development conference, with 500 people registering to attend last year. Make sure your voice is heard. You can find more information on papers and panels here, and register here.

What do Australian NGOs use the internet for?

Chasing donations. That’s the summary answer Sachini Muller and Terence Wood arrive at based on their recent research analyzing the internet usage of Australia’s 50 largest development NGOs, as reported in their just-released discussion paper and blog. Separately, Terence Wood argues that development NGOs should take aid campaigning more seriously by making their own 0.7% commitment: to channel 0.7% of all public donations to aid campaigning. That would be $7.4 million, up from very little currently.

PNG and LNG landowner identification

Colin Filer, Associate Professor at Crawford, will provide a historical perspective on “The intractable problem of landowner identification in the PNG LNG project”, based on his extensive experience in the PNG resources sector. Colin’s seminar will be on Thursday September 1st, in Acton Theatre at the Crawford School. Register here.

Also on PNG, Rohan Fox and Stephen Howes crunch the numbers and show that government revenue is now back at 2006 levels, once you adjust for inflation. Anthony Swan applies some cool techniques to uncover what the Australian media focuses on what it comes to PNG: politics, asylum seekers, and LNG.

There’s plenty on PNG and other subjects of interest at the upcoming SSGM State of the Pacific Conference on September 13 to 15. Details and registration here.

Aid evaluations: an ODE to success

DFAT’s Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) marks its tenth anniversary this year. This post celebrates its increased output. Devpolicy will partner with ODE for our next aid evaluation forum, held on Friday 2nd September at 930 – 130 in the Barton Theatre at the Crawford School. Register here.

Upcoming events

ODE aid evaluations: investing in teachers and learning from evaluations
2nd September, Barton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU. Register here.

The intractable problem of landowner identification in the PNG LNG project: a historical perspective                                             8th September, Acton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU. Details and registration here.

State of the Pacific 2016
13th September – 15th September, Coombs Lecture Theatre, HC Coombs Building, ANU. Register your interest here.

Australasian Aid Conference 2017
15th – 16th February, details here.

 Blog highlights

NGOs should fund the fight to persuade on Australian aid

Delink labour mobility from trade negotiations

The collapse in PNG resource revenue

On the blog

Skills transfer through infrastructure by Richard Curtain

Where to with betelnut? Beyond bans and spot fines by Busa Jeremiah Wenogo

Donations, action, or awareness: what do Australian NGOs use the internet for? By Sachini Muller and Terence Wood

Uncovering hidden content in Australian newsprint articles on PNG by Anthony Swan

PNG real revenue back to 2006 levels by Rohan Fox and Stephen Howes

Demining disaster? By Bob McMullan and Robin Davies

A new point seven by Terence Wood

An ODE to success? 10 years of Office of Development Effectiveness evaluations by Ashlee Betteridge and Stephen Howes

Regional political cooperation to enhance mobility by Wesley Morgan

Pacific mobility: an idea whose time has come? By Wesley Morgan

In brief

Fortnightly links: ending war, food rations, rebooting aid and trade, corporate concessions, and more by Camilla Burkot and Terence Wood

TB in PNG: the impact on children by Camilla Burkot

2016 State of the Pacific Conference by Ashlee Betteridge

Building stronger connections between research and international health programming by Camilla Burkot

This is the fortnightly newsletter of the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, published every second Friday.

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